MSMNPA.ORG Pride 2005

Breaking Down Barriers:
Regional MSM Non-governmental Organisation Success Story

“Free Forum is a very valuable instrument for communication to reach out to marginalized groups in the region and provide them with relevant information related to HIV/AIDS transmission and ways of protection, as well as issues related to same sex relationships in society” , Dr Michel de Groulard, UNAIDS Senior Advisor to PANCAP (April, 2005).

Free Forum - a guide for Men of the Caribbean, is an Information, Education and Communications (IEC) instrument in the form of a hardcopy and online newsletter developed and managed by MSM: No Political Agenda (MSMNPA). The ‘Community’ Newsletter and Website’s concept originated from the Project Design Team (PDT) Address - an MSM intervention programme developed through private and public research by Trinidad’s gay activist - Geoffrey Stanforde throughout the 1990s, towards the importance of ‘mobilization’, ‘empowerment’, ‘activity’ and ‘education’ initiatives to address the issues and concerns of the MSM/Gay Communities.

MSM: No Political Agenda refers to an organisation of MSM (men who have sex with men) and non-MSM individuals who work together to produce an MSM Newsletter and Website. DENI (Project Director and Publisher) publicly states, "We have to help ourselves, otherwise we will continue to feel marginalized and discriminated against by our society in general. You cannot blame ‘them’ if ‘those people’ continue to believe in stereotypical concepts because they truly are not aware of our issues and concerns. And there are equalled amounts if not sometimes more, blatant homophobia practiced within our own ‘community’. We are what we think we are and make of ourselves what we choose to be."

DENI continuously lobbied for this project both nationally and regionally with Policy Makers, Community Leaders, Donor agencies and Non-governmental organizations. He has taken personal risks challenging the social norms that MSM do not exist in our region as a common practice. He has openly Come-Out in newspaper, radio and television interviews. He was determined to create a national and regional MSM: HIV/AIDS Education Programme. He stated , "These are exciting times for our communities. I truly believe that if we do not act now, we may lose an opportunity we will regret. One has to forget about all of the reasons why we cannot or should not dare to try. We must pay attention to the fact that there was no such product and focus on it possibilities, potential and benefit. And we have to be prepared and organised. Timing and luck play a huge part… but it only really occurs to those who are prepared."

The first edition was developed for the MSM Community in Trinidad & Tobago, as ‘a marketing experiment’ to determine the response to and acceptance of such a product. This Edition entitled "MSM: No Political Agenda – a Periodical Newsletter for Men who have Sex with Men" and Webpage, was presented and launched 30 th June 2002 at the T&T Pride Memorial Celebration at the Little Carib Theatre.

The response has been very encouraging. Individuals expressed an interest to access a product with this type of information. They highly praised and appreciated the personally written articles by the regional writers. They identified the benefit of its MSM address. Others celebrated the fact that there was an MSM product managed by MSM individuals, specifically for their ‘community’. Others stated the choice of regional features demonstrated similarities between the experiences and lifestyles of MSM and gay communities in other islands. One teacher stated that it provided the opportunity for use as a teaching aid for young persons to learn about HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, sex education, proper condom use and the diversity of human sexual lifestyles. Certain individuals remarked on the diversity, detail and range of its subject matter from edition to edition.

MSMNPA is now a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Trinidad & Tobago of and for MSM, focusing on promoting their health and human rights in the English-speaking Caribbean, with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS.

MSMNPA was the first MSM organisation to receive funding from the International HIV AIDS Alliance. Since 2003, through funding from the International HIV AIDS Alliance they have successfully produced and disseminated 3,000 copies of Free Forum to MSM and PLWHA organisations, Community Leaders and Community Members in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. The newsletter had been very positively received by MSM in the region. As Kevin Farara, the leader of the St Kitts Nevis HIV/AIDS Group, stated in April 2005,

“Free Forum has been a great educator for gay men here in St Kitts… the personal stories, the education on HIV/AIDS and STIs are very important, as our government and health departments don’t recognize the need for this information, far less the relations and impact of HIV/AIDS in MSM communities”.

MSMNPA is also the first MSM NGO to be funded by a national AIDS institution - the National AIDS Coordinating Committee (NACC). Since July 2004, they gained funding for its production and distribution of the newsletter for Trinidad & Tobago. 3,000 copies are distributed to 27 Key Stakeholders; 12 HIV/AIDS Testing Laboratories; 6 Policy Maker Agencies; 4 Private Health Care Centres; and its targeted T&T MSM Community.

MSMNPA’s membership are currently developing new programmes for the period 2005 – 2006 in the areas of Advocacy and Human Rights Initiatives; MSM PLWHA Treatment Preparedness; Increased Networking and Partnerships with NGOs and CBOs; Planning and Development of Community Events and Workshops; and Support Group (Chatroom) management and facilitation. In the last 6 months they have established an office, manage a team of six officers (three of which are contracted) and have gained some measure of practical and technical office equipment.

They have demonstrated their ability to successfully plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and report on the production and dissemination of a combined regional and national newsletter and website for MSM and the groups with whom MSM are sexually active. As Margarita Elliot, the Programme Coordinator of the Trinidad & Tobago HIV/AIDS Alliance observed in April 2005,

“Due to the quality of work this organization does, MSMNPA is now sought after as a well-known information resource for MSM, GLBT and PLWHA issues nationally and regionally.”